(Photo by WVU Athletics)
For eleven years now, the Mountaineers have ran an air raid offense. Beginning in 2011 under Coach Dana Holgorsen, the stat sheet and scoreboard have been lit up in Morgantown. Both Holgorsen and Brown come from the Hal Mumme coaching tree, and both, for the most part, like to throw it around.
While this has won West Virginia games in shootouts, more times than not this style of offense has came back to bite them. A fast-paced offense just does not give the defense enough time to rest on the sidelines, ultimately hurting them in the end result.
It is expected that WVU will move on from Neal Brown after a 20-24 record, including 12-20 in Big 12 play. Shane Lyons (should he not lose his job too), will be tasked with finding a replacement who can step in and take the Big 12 by storm right away.
While it might be tempting to go with a coach with an offensive mindset, I think it is time for WVU to go the opposite route. It is time to go with a coach that leans towards the defensive side of the ball.
In 2022, it has been the defense that has held the Mountaineers back. If we’re being honest, this has been the worst defense since 2012. Once the coaching staff is completely cleared, going with someone dedicated to righting the ship on that side of the ball is a must.
On offense, it would also be ideal for the coach to want to take a ground first approach. Take some pressure off of the defense, keep the ball on the ground, and don’t allow games to get into a shootout.
As to who this could possibly be, who knows? It’s not my job to make the official hiring. However, if I were to at least advise the hiring, this would be the route I suggest.
